Saxophone



F. ANSTETT.

SAXOPHONE. Fume Nov. 21. 1921. 2 snzz-rs-suser 1 FIE I left hand rests and the thumb ,which is normall Patented Dec. 26, 1922.

' FRANK ANSTETT, OF WILKES-BARBIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAXOPHONE.

Application filed November 21, 1921. Serial No. 516,602.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK ANs'raT'r, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Vilkes-Barre, in the county of Luzerneand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Saxophones, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to saxophones, and more particularly to tenor Saxophones in and it consists in certain improvements to the key mechanism for producing the tones of C natural, and the upper tones D, E flat, E, and F, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the upper end portion of'a tenor saxophoneconstructed according to this invention, with the mouthpiece and various parts omitted. Fig. 2 is a side view looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view but looking in the direction of. the arrow 7 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-section, taken on the line 44 in Fig. 3.

The saxophone illustrated is a tenor saxophone in B flat of approved construction, provided with a conical body portion 8, and a curved head joint 9 having a cork packing piece 1.0 to receive the usual mouthpiece.

The body portion is provided with the usual button or thumb rest 12 for the thumb of the left hand, and '14 trols the vent pad 15, of the upper octave, on the head joint. In a saxophone as ordinarily constructed, the ball of the thumb of'the directly on the button 12, piece 13 of the octave key 14 is operated by the ti of the thumb without raising the ball 0? the thumb off the button. According to the present invention,

the ball of the thumb does not rest directly a thumb plate 32 I pressed down on the.

the left hand on the plate 19,

on the button 12 but on button 12 b the t umb, and which permits the octave. ey 14- to be operated by the tip of the thumb in the usual manner. The

vent pad 16 of the lower octave is preferably controlled byautomatic mechanism of approved construction, and 17 is the arm which operatively connects it with the ke 14. 7

he first, second and third fingersof the left hand come over finger plates 18, 19 and 20, respectively. These finger plates pertain to the normal C, Aand G pads of the is the key which conapproved instrument as ordinarily constructed. The finger plates 18 and 19 and the keys to which they ertain are mounted co-axially, and indepen ently of each other, on one spindle as shown in Fig. 2; and the finger plate 20 is mounted on a separate spindle.

The pad21 which closes the C sharp hole,

:and which produces that tone when raised,

is closed by crossfingering with thesecond finger on the plate 19, in order to produce This action leaves the tone of C natural.

In running up the the C pad 24 open. scale'of D major the notes A natural, B

"natural and C sharp are produced one after another by raisingthe third, second and first fingers of the left hand off thefinger plates 20, 19 and 18, in the regular order of third, second and first. The C natural is produced by depressing the finger plate 19 with the second finger simultaneously with raising the first finger, and so that the sound of one note only may be heard.

In running up the scale of C major the third and second fingers are raised in the order third and second, and then the second .finger 'ismoved downwardly, crosswise of the first finger, while the first finger is being raised. This is not so easily done in rapid passages on account of the cross motion of the fingers. A C pad 25 is also provided at the back forming the C natural tone by a different fingering. This pad 25 is operated in the usual manner by a pivoted key 26 which is normally closed by a spring 27 and which is tripped open by an arm 28 on a key operated bythe first fin r of the right-hand at the lower part 0 the instrument, and

which is not shown as it and also the key 26 and pad 25 part of the instrument body for.

1 In order to avoid making the C natural by crossfingering with the second finger of and by the use of the key 26, and thereby to facilitate the execution of certain passa es of muslc, an additional key 30is provi ed. This key 30 is mounted on a pivot 31, and it has a thumb plate 32 at its upper end arranged over the button or thumb rest 12. This key 30 has a laterally and forwardly projecting arm 33 which underlays a projection 34 on the upper end of the C pad 25. The ke 3O is provided with a strong spring 35 w ich pvercomes the spring 27 and opens. the C 32 to bear against c u The highest tones or the instrument F, E

flat and l), are produced by pads 36, 37, I l and 39 respeetive which cover the oer-tire tone holes d which produce the or when raised to open the tone holes, in :he "all manner. The D tone in insmuu'aents ordinarily eonstructed produced by a key operated or the third joint of the {in of the lert hand. According to press it invention, the D hey 40,, which is mounted on a pivot lil -is ext-ended longilv and it has acurved and laterally proj ea or finp'erpieee 42 which extends forwardly around the tube or body portion or theinstrument to a point between the finger plates 19 and 20. In this position theD key is opened with facility by the third finger of the left hand; which is raised oil the plate 20.

The E flat tone is ordinarily produced by ope ated the first finger of the left hand. .icoording to the present invention the E flat key 4 1-, which is mounted on a pivot 45, is extended longitudinally, and it has a laterally and torwardly projecting linger piece 4:6 at its lower end which eX- tends to point between the finger plates 18 and: 19. This finger piece 46 is depressed hy the second finger of the hand, which is reaovcd from the plate 19, so that the pad 38 may he raised by the key 44L to produce the E flattone.

The high F natural tone is produced by the first. linger oi the left hand according to this invention, applied to a finger piece carried by the E lever which is mounted on a pivot 50. p l

The upper end portion of the lever 49 ui'ulerlays an arm 51 'on-th'e E pad 37, and whenthe finger piece 4:8 is depressed the pad 3"? is raised to produce the E natural manner by the first finger ot the right hand at the lower part oi. the instrument, which a so operates the E natural pad 37. The Finger piece 48 is arranged on level with the finger plate 18, and the lowerend portion :32 of the is p the finger piece 4-6 of the E flat key, sothat E fiat pad is raised each time the E natural padlis raised in order to increase 0 the ventage and improve the quality of the natural tone.

The high F tone is. also finger ofthe left hand. The high .F

key'ue is mounted Eon a pivot 55, and it has a laterally and forwardly projeeting finger end portion of the the thunil'i oi tone. Tnis tone is also producer in the usual arranged to overlap prbduced by the lower end portion, which ise of and under the lower P) natural lever 4.9. The piece 56 arran ed on the other side s eve i i on projects crossw oi the linger plate 18 ti-om the finger plate and the first finger is removed from the plate Hi in order to depress the Finger piece and therehy rais the F pad 36. This arrangement or". the high D, fiat,

an l? keys tucillates the execution of 7-3 ot music in which these The three linger pieces 56, 22 are a u ,ged (substantially par- 4. othen and they alternate in 01701?! with the tin plates 20, 19 so the series being, 52-0, e52, 19 d6, 18 and each linger piece projects at 'illy a right angle from the key to which it pertains. I I

This trrangement of finger pieces and S5 :tlngcr plates permits the four upper tones of the instrument to he produced without movi the left. hand to an inconvenient czo normal positionon the instruwhen the thumb plate is released and thereby opens the said C key to produce the 1 0 natural, tone.

2a In Saxophone a normally closed 0 ns'zturul key provlded' with a closing spring and having a pro ect1on at its upper end,

=)1V0i}l ad'iacentto the said C he and v i -w a i I provided at its uoner GHQ with late tor i I i A V the left hand and a laterally pro ectinag arm which underlavs the aro'eotum on the said key, and a sprlng of;

strength than the aforesaid spring and which operates both keys when the thumb plate is released and thereby opens the said re"toproducethe C'natural tone.

3. In a saxophone a body portion 7 vided with a button. anormally olosedll natural l' i provided with a closing spring a key pivt l adjacent. to the said Q key and irovided' with means for engaging; with it and having' a plate tor the thui nlo oit' the left hand which overlaps the said button and which bears on it when depressed, and a spring oil? greater strength than the aforesaid sprino; and which operates both keys when the thumb plate is released;

4. In a saxophone, a pivoted key provided with a pad for the high E fiat tone at its "upper part and having a lateral projection its lower part, and a pivoted lever for operatii 1e high E natural pad, said lever it its lower end portion adapted tohe operated h the second finger of the left hand, and having an end portion which overkill)? and eng ms with the finger piece of the J flat key A; that the E flat pad is raised simultuneously with the E natural pad.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

FRANK ANSTETT. 

